Thursday, April 2, 2015

pH Levels and Acids TrollXSCA


We know pH is important when dealing with skincare actives (acids et al), but it can still be quite a bit confusing when trying to take it all in, so I figured the first post here at /r/TrollXSCA can be about it. I'm going to skip the mumbo jumbo and try to keep this post as simple and easy to understand as possible. I've gathered my information from various sources over the past few months so I will throw links at the bottom here for you to click through if you want to learn more.


Basic quick notes you probably know but I wanna get them out of the way before we start:



  • pH level of 7 is neutral. Higher than 7 is alkaline, lower than 7 is acidic. Water is 7.

  • People with dry skin typically have a naturally higher skin pH, people with oily skin typically have a naturally lower pH.

  • Average skin pH is 4.7-5.4(ish, this is currently up for debate)

  • Your actives, acids, exfoliants, whatever you wanna call them need to go in order of lowest pH to highest. Typically you want to wait about 20 minutes after each product before moving on to the next so that you give them time to do their job. Typical order (if using all three) is gonna be Vitamin C -> BHA -> AHA.


Cleaners


Okay, so, you probably know you typically want your facial cleanser to have a pH below six. Most sites recommend a pH of 5.5 for facial cleansers. A couple examples of cleansers with a pH of 5.5 are:



  • Rohto Hadalabo Gokujyn Hyaluronic Acid Cleansing Foam, which is highly recommended on /r/AsianBeauty

  • CeraVe Foaming Facial Cleanser, which is highly recommended on /r/SkincareAddiction


Vitamin C


Some people do their Vitamin C in the morning. Some do it at night. Some don't use it at all. Whatever tickles your fancy. You do you. Some quick notes:



  • Vitamin C Serums work best with a pH below 3.0

  • You wanna avoid the sunlight for about a half hour after applying because you'll turn orange

  • Most Vitamin C Serums need to be kept in the refrigerator in between uses


After washing your face (before applying your Vitamin C), you have two options. You can either wait ~20 minutes for your skin to naturally lower it's pH, or you can use a pH adjusting toner to bring your pH down. If you use your Vitamin C on skin with too high of a pH, it's going to spend much of it's time/energy bringing your pH down that it won't be as effective. Using a toner with a pH of about 4.5 is going to be a safe bet. A couple skin balancing toners with a pH of 4.5 are:



  • Benton Snail Bee High Content Skin, which is highly recommended on /r/AsianBeauty

  • Mizon AHA/BHA Toner, which is highly recommended on /r/AsianBeauty


Some popular Vitamin C Serums are:



BHA


BHAs are typically used before AHAs because they cut through the oil (sebum) and get into your pores, while AHAs work on the surface. AHAs work better when the BHAs have cleared the way. Just like with Vitamin C serums, some people do theirs in the morning, some at night. I am going in here with the assumption that you know the basics of BHAs and how they work. Some quick notes:



  • BHAs work best with a pH below 4.2

  • Some BHAs can be drying


Some popular BHAs and their pH levels are:



AHA


Like I said above, AHAs work on the surface of the skin, so you will see better results if you also incorporate a BHA in your routine, but it's not necessary. Again, I am going in here with the assumption that you know the basics of AHAs and how they work. Some quick notes about AHAs:



  • Always use a sunscreen when using AHAs, even if you use your AHA at night. AHAs make your skin super sensitive to sunlight and the results can last up to 18 hours or so, so even if you use it before bed, your skin will still be susceptible to sun damage in the morning and most of the next day

  • AHAs work best at a pH lower than 4.5


Some popular AHAs and their pH levels are:



Please feel free to comment with more vital information and comments on any applicable products you have tried. And thanks for reading!



Sources and further reading: http://ift.tt/1cWozRr http://ift.tt/1ItpYAe http://ift.tt/1GQc8ti http://ift.tt/1ItpYAg







Submitted April 03, 2015 at 01:05AM by thats_way_harsh_tai http://ift.tt/1MH0sxZ TrollXSCA
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